First show after six months. The show is also known for having the first "Rain", instigated by Vince. Jer had fallen ill again, but this time refused to go to hospital. Shows were cancelled and hospital came instead to his mountaintop estate. Good thing, because he got worse before he got better. Though this time there was no coma, he was near death and lost 50 lbs. after being diagnosed with organ dysfunction, heart & lung disease, and poor management of diabetes. As a result of all this, Jer also told Brigid he was leaving Manasha for her. True, we never cared at the time about their personal lives. It seemed tabloid - beneath the scene. But now we see how this period affected the band and the music. Signs of ill health would continue for the next few years. The cancelled shows were August : Veneta & Shoreline; and September: East Coast tour incl. 6 days in Boston. In the meantime, Bobby toured as Weir & Wasserman (remember the tour with Michelle Shocked & Bruce Cockburn?), and developed vocal problems. They played what would have been the Dead route in July: Irvine > Park City > Red Rocks > Minneapolis.

This is the start of a bittersweet period. We were glad to have Jer back, but things were not the same. I don't recall there being mail order for these shows - probably because they needed an out just in case, and were only doing shows on shorter notice. Two show buddies couldn't make it (snowstorm, IIRC) so I miracled one ticket, and a friend of mine convinced me to bring her mother, who had heard many of the stories over the years. She seemed game enough but it only took walking through the lots for her to get stiff. She stood with her arms crossed the whole show, a passive observer, putting me into the role of constant keeper. After the first set I had to explain that the concert most definitely was not over, and for some reason I felt obligated to convince her to stay (rather than point her to the taxi stand). She was disinterested in the music and mainly people-watched, confused & disappointed that the band had no theatrical stage show.

Part of the problem was poor seating, and that Healy now started doing stranger things with the mix and the PA. We were at the top row, a quarter way back from the stage, and had to concentrate to hear the show. People talking around us were louder than the PA. Adding to the weird mix, each players' volumes were going up and down. Other friends had seats with us, and when these remained empty I had a bad, distracting feeling. Before cell phones, afterward I had to call around to find that, sure enough, there had been an accident: one treated & released and the other requiring surgery. I had to write the night off as a loss and looked forward to the next night. I suppose we all have that one show that exceeded our grasp and settled in bummerville. Still, I was psyched to bag new-for-me songs. When I got the tape, it was almost like listening to a show I hadn't seen.

First Set. Opener Stranger has interference (probably from in-house FM crossover) and you can hear other music bleeding through. It was there in person too, but is a little less obvious on the AUDs (try the gems_82302). On the SBD, however, you can really hear Mickey on the congas effect. They Love Each Other was a personal highlight, because I was always missing it by one show. Luckily it's a great version too - the second one of '92, and the only one 5/92>4/93. Vince is great here. I was happy to bag a Same Thing as well. Again Vince is good, and it's solid, if a bit understated. Better is the Jack-a-Roe (three bags in a row, call me Dead chuffed). It's All Over Now is uptempo, nice. So Many Roads was also new for me (and to most of us), and the muffed lyrics are balanced by the potent finish. This is actually a hot Let it Grow, ending a very solid set for '92 (weird mixing and tech issues aside).

Second Set. Four tunings! Close listeners will note that Vince plays a brief Woody Woodpecker Song (only on some AUDs, not on SBD, best on Darby_119982); then Jer plays a haphazard Tico-Tico no Fubá; then there's a band Funiculì, Funiculà; and a brief Beer Barrel Polka. China Cat quickly gels into X factor and the audience begins the swirl. Jer's tone is amazing on a super Rider. Way to Go Home had already been played a bunch in '92, but was still underwritten. Unfortunately there's a tech problem and Vince's mic has been turned off until the end of the first verse. Consider it a bonus track, because they lay down two more before Drums. Usually it's Bobby that muffs Truckin', but here it's Jer that insists on the wrong verse. He's Gone has some fine, technical playing that's probably the best of the night. Smooth as a baby's butt. This is a great Drums: intense, for visuals. Space though = not a great one. This goes into a staid Miracle. Again with the weird volume fluctuations. This time it's Jer that's turned down (and Bobby's guitar). So what does Healy do instead of fixing the mix? Adds FX to the vox. The mix improves in time for Wharf Rat, but a frustrated Bobby plays intermittently then leaves the stage @9:20. Phil compensates and Bobby is back to launch Lovelight. The latter is somewhat lugubrious, but the false ending is fun. The premiere is saved for the encore. It's not the worst version, but the elemental droning essence isn't there so it sounds skeletal. They played it again on the 12th, then shelved it until April, after which it was played 18 times, usually as either a set opener or an encore.

1st Set:  B-
2nd Set: C
Overall = 3 stars

Highlights:
They Love Each Other - great version; key ingredient = Vince
I Know You Rider - cap it with the China coming in
Drums - designed for visuals; cap with fine He's Gone

SOURCES: It took awhile for this show to appear on the Archive in anything other than speedy AUDs. The 140248_sbd is the most accurate. Others run a bit fast or are not as clear. It is usually up on YouTube (1st set and first few from 2nd set) as a handheld, AUD cam.

Don't get discouraged by the first song. You will notice there is another band playing faintly in the background for first song. (Same ban?) Someone recorded over a tape for this source, but it sounds like it all goes back to normal after Stranger.

Jerry is learning how to stay on the bike through this show. Vince has a good night and Bralove went easy on feeding Vince cheesy sounds, opting for mostly a organic sounding piano. This health renaissance from Jerry continued through March 93 and the band found a very mellow sound in this period with Mickey sticking to Congos and Bongos and the overall stage volume brought down. Bob'e voice begins to show signs of the problems he would later have after spring 93' requiring throat surgery to remove nodes on his vocal chords. He is a little raspy here, and singing at a lower volume which might account for the whole band playing more glacial and less bombastic.

Don't just listen to this show. keep going to 12-6-92, 12-12-92, 12-16-92, 3-11-93, 3-17-93, and 3-22-93. I will add 5-21-93, 6-15-93, 8-22-93, and 9-13-93 as other shows for the rest of 93.